The present invention relates to an information recording medium, such as paper, recording, as an optically readable code pattern, so-called multimedia information including, for example, audio information such as a speech and music, video information obtained from a camera, a video device, etc., and digital code data obtained from a personal computer, a word processor, etc., and an information reproducing apparatus optically reading out a code pattern recorded on such an information recording medium and reproducing its original multimedia information.
Various media, such as a magnetic tape, an optical disc, etc., have been conventionally known as media for recording speech, music, etc. These media, being manufactured in large quantities, become higher in unit cost and occupy greater space. Further, if there arises the need to send a speech-recorded medium to a person in a far-away place or places, it takes more time and trouble even if it is mailed to him or her or it is carried with him or her in person. The same to thing can also be true about so-called multimedia information including, in addition to audio information, video information obtained from a camera, video device, etc., as well as digital code data obtained from a personal computer, word processors, etc.
The applicant has conceived a system for recording multimedia information containing at least one of audio information, video information and digital code data, in dot-code form, on an information recording medium such as paper, that is, the multimedia information as image information, i.e., coded information, capable of facsimile transmission and of copying in large quantities at low cost and a system for reproducing such recorded multimedia information and filed the invention as an international application PCT/JP93/01377 (WO 94/08314).
In the information reproducing system of this international application, the information reproducing apparatus is adapted to achieve reproduction operation by optically reading out the dot code from the information recording medium and adapted to achieve read-out operation by manually scanning the recorded medium along the recorded dot code while carrying the apparatus by hand.
The dot code pattern per se is now under investigation to improve the recording density and the information recording medium and information reproducing apparatus filed under the above international application have not been fully considered in terms of their flexibility and versatility on a future change or modification.
It is accordingly the object of the present invention to provide an information recording medium and information reproducing apparatus which, even if the configuration of a code pattern itself varies in the future, can cope with this situation.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, there is provided an information recording medium having an area recording, as an optically readable code pattern, multimedia information containing at least one of audio information, video information and digital code data, characterized in that the code pattern contains processing-information necessary to subject the data to edit processing in accordance with a reproduction process for reproducing original multimedia information by reading out the code pattern.
Or an information recording medium of the present invention has an area recording, as an optically readable code pattern, multimedia information containing at least one of audio information, video information and digital code data, characterized in that reproducing means, adapted to be applied to the information recording medium, for reading out the code pattern and for reproducing the code pattern to original multimedia information, at least comprises: first layer processing means for converting the read-out code pattern to code data as an image and for delivering an output with information related to the read-out attached as first processing information to the code data; second layer processing means for recognizing the first processing information delivered from the first layer processing means and processing the code data delivered from the first layer processing means and for creating a block with the code data and delivering an output; third layer processing means for allowing second processing information at least necessary to form a supermacroblock of a greater given unit through the gathering of such blocks output from the second layer processing means to be extracted from the code data of the block, recognizing the second processing information and creating the supermacroblock based on the second processing information, for allowing third processing information for error handling-related processing to be extracted from the supermacroblock, recognizing the third processing information and performing the processing related to the error handling of the supermacroblock on the basis of the third processing information, and for outputting a subset element created through dispersion of the supermacroblocks on the basis of the third processing information; and fourth layer processing means for allowing fourth processing information at least necessary to create a subset comprised of a code of a given unit, from which the multimedia information is reproducible, to be extracted from the subset element which is delivered from the third layer processing means and outputting the subset created on the basis of the fourth processing information, and that the code pattern contains the second to fourth processing information.
Or an information reproducing apparatus of the present invention comprises reproducing means for optically reading out a code pattern from an information recording medium having an area recording, as the optically readable code pattern, multimedia information containing at least one of audio information, video information and digital code data, and reproducing the code pattern back to original multimedia information, characterized in that the reproducing means includes means for performing data processing based on processing information necessary to subject data to edit processing in accordance with a reproduction process contained in the code pattern.
Or an information reproducing apparatus of the present invention comprises reproducing means for optically reading out a code pattern from an information recording medium having an area recording, as an optically readable code pattern, multimedia information containing at least one of audio information, video information and digital code data and reproducing the code pattern back to original multimedia information, characterized in that the code pattern contains processing information necessary to subject data to edit processing in accordance with a reproduction process of reproducing the read-out code pattern to original multimedia information, and that the reproducing means includes means for generating data of a second given unit by gathering, in predetermined numbers, data in each first given unit and structuring such data based on the processing information.
Or an information reproducing apparatus of the present invention comprises reproducing means for optically reading out a code pattern from a recording medium having an area recording, as the optically readable code pattern, multimedia information containing at least one of audio information, video information and digital code data and for reproducing the pattern back to original multimedia information, characterized in that the reproducing means includes means for extracting processing information necessary to subject data to edit processing in accordance with the reproduction process at multiple stages from that data at a stage previous to a stage involved.
Or an information reproducing apparatus of the present invention comprises reading-out means for optically reading out a code pattern from a recording medium having an area recording, as the optically readable code pattern, multimedia information containing at least one of audio information, video information and digital code data, reproducing means for reproducing the code which is read out by the reading-out means back to original multimedia information, and outputting means for outputting the multimedia information reproduced by the reproducing means, characterized in that the reproducing means comprises: first layer processing means for converting the read-out code pattern to code data as an image and for delivering an output with information related to the read-out attached as first processing information to the code data; second layer processing means for recognizing the first processing information delivered from the first layer processing means and processing the code data delivered from the first layer processing means and for creating a block with the code data gathered and for delivering an output; third layer processing means for allowing second processing information at least necessary to form a supermacroblock of a greater given unit through the gathering of such blocks output from the second layer processing means to be extracted from the code data of the block, recognizing the second processing information and creating the supermacroblock based on the second processing information, for allowing third processing information for error handling-related processing to be extracted from the supermacroblock, recognizing the third processing information and performing processing related to the error handling of the supermacroblock on the basis of the third processing information, and for outputting a subset element created through the dispersion of the supermacroblocks on the basis of the third processing information; and fourth layer processing means for allowing fourth processing information at least necessary to create a subset comprised of a code of a given unit, from which the multimedia information is reproducible, to be extracted from the subset element which is delivered from the third layer processing means and for outputting the subset created on the basis of the fourth processing information.
That is, according to the information recording medium and information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the optically readable code pattern recorded is of such a type that it contains processing information necessary to subject data to edit processing in accordance with a reproduction process for reproducing read-out code pattern back to original multimedia information and the reproducing means includes means for performing data processing based on the processing information necessary to subject data to edit processing. It is, therefore, possible to select the processing method or processing parameters in plural numbers and, even if the structure of the code pattern per se is varied in the future, cope with this situation.
Or according to the information recording medium and information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the first layer processing means of the reproducing means converts the read-out code pattern to code data and delivers an output with first processing information attached thereto, the second layer processing means recognizes the first processing information, processes the code data and generates a block as an output, the third layer processing means extracts second and third processing information from the code data of the block, recognizes it and generates a supermacroblock based on the second processing information and performs processing related to error handling of the superblock on the basis of the third processing information. Further, it separates such supermacroblocks based on the third processing information and generates a subset element as an output and the fourth layer processing means extracts fourth processing information from the subset element and, based thereon, generates a subset as an output. Since the code pattern contains the second to fourth processing information, various processings can freely be selected by the second through the fourth processing information in the code pattern and, even if the configuration of the code pattern per se is varied in the future, it is possible to cope with this situation.
Further, according to the information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the code pattern is of such a type as to contain processing information necessary to subject data to edit processing in accordance with a reproduction process for reproducing a read-out code pattern back to original multimedia information. The reproducing means generates data in a second given unit by gathering, in predetermined numbers, data corresponding to the code pattern read out based on the processing information and structuring it. Therefore, a supermacroblock as the second given unit can be generated without depending upon the order in which the data of the block in the first given unit is obtained. It is possible to freely set the read-out scanning direction of a dot pattern as the code pattern. Even if, therefore, the configuration of the code pattern per se is varied in the future, it is possible to cope with this situation.
Or, according to the information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the reproducing means extracts processing information necessary to subject data to edit processing in accordance with the reproduction process at multiple stages from data from the previous stage. It is, therefore, only necessary to know a configuration of the existing position, etc., of processing information necessary to obtain requisite minimal processing information in data. Even if the configuration of the code pattern per se is varied in the future, it is possible to cope with this situation.